By Sadia Zaheer
For Pakistan, literacy is not simply an education target. It is a question of what kind of future we want to build. The ability to read and write is the starting point, but the real value of education lies in what it enables people to do: participate in the economy, make informed choices, develop new ideas, build livelihoods and contribute to their communities. A country that invests in learning is investing in its people and, ultimately, in its prosperity.
There is some progress to acknowledge. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26, the literacy rate among people aged 10 and above has risen from 61 to 63 per cent. Male literacy stands at 73 per cent, compared with 54 per cent among females. Yet education spending has declined. The numbers tell us something important: progress is possible, but it cannot be taken for granted.
This year’s International Literacy Day theme, ‘Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity’, brings this challenge into sharper focus. Literacy today must mean more than the ability to read and write. It must equip people with the skills to navigate a changing economy, engage with technology, understand their environment and participate meaningfully in society. For Pakistan, where a large and youthful population represents both an enormous opportunity and a significant responsibility, the quality and reach of education will have a direct bearing on our future.
For LUMS, this belief has been at the heart of its journey for four decades. This year, the University is celebrating its 40th anniversary alongside the 100th birthday of its Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali. Forty years ago, Syed Babar Ali and a group of dedicated co-founders came together around a powerful idea: that access to world-class education could help change the course of a country.
One of the clearest expressions of that vision is the National Outreach Programme (NOP). Established in 2001, NOP was created around a simple principle: talent is found everywhere, but opportunity is not. The programme reaches students across Pakistan, including those from underserved communities, and provides a pathway to a LUMS education through outreach, preparation and financial support. More than 1,100 students have been inducted into NOP, with more than 540 having graduated and gone on to build careers and contribute to their communities.
But access is only the beginning.
The larger contribution of an institution is measured by what it enables its students and faculty to do with knowledge. At LUMS, this is reflected in five schools spanning business, humanities and social sciences, science and engineering, law and education. Together, they create an environment where disciplines intersect and students are encouraged to look beyond conventional boundaries. The School of Business connects management with societal impact; the School of Humanities and Social Sciences develops critical and analytical thinking; the School of Science and Engineering pursues interdisciplinary discovery; the School of Law combines legal education with broader social understanding; and the School of Education focuses on developing educators, researchers, policymakers and leaders who can contribute to improving Pakistan’s education system.
The value of this approach is ultimately seen in the opportunities it creates for people and contributions they go on to make. One example is the economic participation of women graduates. At LUMS’ School of Humanities and Social Sciences, a review of more than 6,000 alumni found that more than half are women, with 75 per cent of these women employed. The School notes that the comparable figure for female university graduates in Pakistan is 25 per cent. The finding points to the wider economic value of expanding access to quality education, particularly for women, by enabling more people to participate meaningfully in the workforce and contribute to the economy.
This breadth of education matters because Pakistan’s challenges do not exist in silos. Consider the questions facing the country today: How can we manage scarce water resources? How can agriculture become more productive and climate-resilient? How can Pakistan harness artificial intelligence responsibly? How can we transition towards cleaner and more affordable energy? These are not questions that can be answered by one discipline alone. They require research, technology, policy and people who can connect the dots.
That is where LUMS’ research ecosystem becomes particularly significant. Its research centres work across areas including water, energy, data, agriculture, and business and society. The Centre for Water Informatics and Technology, for example, works with industry and government on technologies for more efficient irrigation and sustainable agriculture, while the National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing works on data analytics, cloud computing and developing national capacity in these fields.
The impact can also be seen in research addressing some of Pakistan’s most pressing environmental challenges. LUMS researchers have contributed to an international study that has identified two synthetic compounds capable of enhancing plant drought tolerance while avoiding the undesirable side effects associated with existing drought-response treatments. The research was carried out by an international team of scientists from institutions in Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and Pakistan.
And as artificial intelligence begins to reshape economies and societies, LUMS is also helping build national capacity in this emerging field. This year, LUMS established Pakistan’s first nationally coordinated AI Hub. The initiative initially focuses on maternal, newborn and child health, while building a broader platform for responsible AI innovation and capacity building in Pakistan.
These examples illustrate why education must ultimately be understood as more than an individual investment. A university does not only produce graduates. At its best, it produces ideas, research, enterprises, policymakers, educators and solutions.
That is the multiplier effect of education.
As LUMS marks 40 years, its journey offers a reminder of what becomes possible when talent is matched with opportunity and knowledge is connected to national challenges. The goal is not simply to create successful individuals, but to create people who can contribute to a more capable, innovative and resilient Pakistan.
This International Literacy Day, the conversation should therefore move beyond literacy rates alone. The real measure of progress is whether learning creates opportunity, whether opportunity enables participation, and whether knowledge is ultimately translated into solutions that improve lives.
Pakistan’s greatest resource is its people: their talent, creativity, resilience and ideas. Investing in education is how we unlock it.
Because when education reaches one person, it can change a life.
The post The Multiplier Effect of Education: How LUMS Is Building Opportunity and Impact appeared first on ProPakistani.